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2023 Most Popular Computer Science Graduate Certificate Schools

307 Schools Ranked
$23,273 Avg Student Debt

A computer science student has lots of options to pick from when considering higher education opportunities. As online education oppotunities continue to grow, you're not restricted to just schools in your local area anymore. Even some of the 'big name' schools are offering online courses. Also, there are a number of trade schools and bootcamps with offerings that you might find attractive.

To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Computer Science Degree Search has developed this Most Popular Computer Science Graduate Certificate Schools ranking. This report analyzed 307 schools in the United States to see which ones were the most popular graduate certificate programs for computer science students. To create this ranking we looked at how many students graduated from each school on the list.

Learn more about these popular schools below:

250 Total Awards

Our 2023 rankings named University of Phoenix - Arizona the most popular school in the United States for computer science students working on their graduate certificate. Located in Tempe, Arizona, the large private for-profit school handed out 250 graduate certificate awards in 2020-2021.

Of those students who received their degree, 42% were women.

UOPX - Arizona does have options available for those who want to take online graduate classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. In fact, around 99% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.

Read full report on University of Phoenix - Arizona

#2

Naval Postgraduate School

Monterey, California
221 Total Awards

You’ll be in good company if you attend Naval Postgraduate School. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Most Popular Computer Science Graduate Certificate Schools list. Located in Monterey, California, the small public school awarded 221 diplomas to qualifed graduate certificate students in 2020-2021.

Of those students who received their degree, 20% were women.

If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Naval Postgraduate School does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. During the 2019-2020 year, about 47% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.

Read full report on Naval Postgraduate School

173 Total Awards
$9,342 Average Tuition & Fees

A rank of #3 on this year’s list means University of Maryland Global Campus is a great place for computer science students working on their graduate certificate. UMGC is located in Adelphi, Maryland and has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 173 graduate certificates to qualified students.

Of those students who received their degree, 35% were women.

UMGC does have options available for those who want to take online graduate classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. In 2019-2020 about 91% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.

Read full report on University of Maryland Global Campus

#4

Harvard University

Cambridge, Massachusetts
169 Total Awards
$52,170 Average Tuition & Fees
$19,755 Avg Student Debt

Out of the 307 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, Harvard University landed the # 4 spot on the list. Harvard is a private not-for-profit institution located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The school has a large population, and it awarded 169 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.

Graduate Certificate recipients from Harvard accumulate an average of $19,755 in student debt by the time they complete their degree. Of those students who received their degree, 33% were women.

Depending on your major, you may be able to take online graduate classes at Harvard. In fact, around 96% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.

Full Harvard University Report

#5

Syracuse University

Syracuse, New York
165 Total Awards
$42,954 Average Tuition & Fees
$23,245 Avg Student Debt

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Syracuse University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Popular Computer Science Graduate Certificate Schools list. Syracuse, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out graduate certificates to 165 students in 2020-2021.

On average, graduate certificate students take out $23,245 in loans while pursuing their degree. Of those students who received their degree, 47% were women.

Online graduate courses are available at Syracuse, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. During the 2019-2020 year, about 31% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.

Read full report on Syracuse University

#6

Kennesaw State University

Kennesaw, Georgia
145 Total Awards
$7,224 Average Tuition & Fees

Kennesaw State University landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular graduate certificate computer science programs. Kennesaw, Georgia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out graduate certificates to 145 students in 2020-2021.

Around 34% of those degree recipients were women.

Online graduate courses are available at KSU Georgia, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 88% took at least some of their classes online.

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#7

Sans Technology Institute

Bethesda, Maryland
140 Total Awards

With a ranking of #7, Sans Technology Institute did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for computer science students working on their graduate certificate. Bethesda, Maryland is the setting for this very small institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out graduate certificates to 140 students in 2020-2021.

Around 5% of those degree recipients were women.

Since the graduate programs at Sans Technology Institute are online, the school is an excellent choice for graduate students who need more flexibility than what is offered at some other schools.

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#8

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
121 Total Awards
$63,936 Average Tuition & Fees

University of Chicago ranked #8 on this year’s Most Popular Computer Science Graduate Certificate Schools list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out graduate certificates to 121 students in 2020-2021.

Around 49% of those degree recipients were women.

Read More…

#9

DeVry University - Illinois

Chicago, Illinois
120 Total Awards
$17,552 Average Tuition & Fees

DeVry University - Illinois landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular graduate certificate computer science programs. DeVry University - Illinois is located in Chicago, Illinois and has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 120 graduate certificates to qualified students.

Around 34% of those degree recipients were women.

Online graduate courses are available at DeVry University - Illinois, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In fact, around 97% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.

Read full report on DeVry University - Illinois

#10

University of St Thomas Minnesota

Saint Paul, Minnesota
101 Total Awards
$23,736 Average Tuition & Fees

University of St Thomas Minnesota did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for computer science students to get a graduate certificate. It came in at #10 on the list. Located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, the medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 101 graduate certificate awards in 2020-2021.

Of those students who received their degree, 31% were women.

You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at UST MN. In fact, around 80% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.

Full University of St Thomas Minnesota Report

#11

Rochester Institute of Technology

Rochester, New York
88 Total Awards
$52,408 Average Tuition & Fees
$20,525 Avg Student Debt

Rochester Institute of Technology did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for computer science students to get a graduate certificate. It came in at #11 on the list. Rochester, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out graduate certificates to 88 students in 2020-2021.

On average, graduate certificate students take out $20,525 in loans while pursuing their degree. Of those students who received their degree, 30% were women.

RIT does have options available for those who want to take online graduate classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. During the 2019-2020 year, about 72% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.

Read full report on Rochester Institute of Technology

#12

Seattle University

Seattle, Washington
80 Total Awards
$14,310 Average Tuition & Fees
$21,447 Avg Student Debt

Seattle University ranked #12 on this year’s Most Popular Computer Science Graduate Certificate Schools list. Located in Seattle, Washington, the medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 80 graduate certificate awards in 2020-2021.

Graduate Certificate recipients from Seattle U accumulate an average of $21,447 in student debt by the time they complete their degree. Of those students who received their degree, 33% were women.

Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at Seattle U. During the 2019-2020 year, about 71% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.

Read More…

#13

Towson University

Towson, Maryland
77 Total Awards
$11,034 Average Tuition & Fees

Towson University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for computer science students to get a graduate certificate. It came in at #13 on the list. Towson, Maryland is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out graduate certificates to 77 students in 2020-2021.

Of those students who received their degree, 52% were women.

You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at Towson. During the 2019-2020 year, about 100% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.

Read full report on Towson University

#14

East Carolina University

Greenville, North Carolina
76 Total Awards
$7,594 Average Tuition & Fees

East Carolina University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for computer science students to get a graduate certificate. It came in at #14 on the list. Located in Greenville, North Carolina, the large public school awarded 76 diplomas to qualifed graduate certificate students in 2020-2021.

Around 45% of those degree recipients were women.

One thing to take note of is that ECU does offer online graduate classes in some areas. In fact, around 80% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.

Read More…

#15

University of North Texas

Denton, Texas
69 Total Awards
$8,256 Average Tuition & Fees

University of North Texas ranked #15 on this year’s Most Popular Computer Science Graduate Certificate Schools list. Denton, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out graduate certificates to 69 students in 2020-2021.

Of those students who received their degree, 78% were women.

One thing to take note of is that UNT does offer online graduate classes in some areas. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 50% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.

Read More…

#15

George Washington University

Washington, District of Columbia
69 Total Awards
$32,904 Average Tuition & Fees
$29,615 Avg Student Debt

George Washington University ranked #15 on this year’s Most Popular Computer Science Graduate Certificate Schools list. GWU is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Washington, District of Columbia. It awarded 69 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.

On average, graduate certificate students take out $29,615 in loans while pursuing their degree. Around 43% of those degree recipients were women.

GWU does have options available for those who want to take online graduate classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. During the 2019-2020 year, about 37% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.

Read More…

#17

The University of Texas at Dallas

Richardson, Texas
67 Total Awards

The University of Texas at Dallas came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Computer Science Graduate Certificate Schools ranking. Located in Richardson, Texas, the large public school handed out 67 graduate certificate awards in 2020-2021.

Of those students who received their degree, 42% were women.

UT Dallas does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. In fact, around 83% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.

Read full report on The University of Texas at Dallas

#18

University of Wisconsin - Madison

Madison, Wisconsin
62 Total Awards
$12,175 Average Tuition & Fees

University of Wisconsin - Madison came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Computer Science Graduate Certificate Schools ranking. Madison, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out graduate certificates to 62 students in 2020-2021.

Around 26% of those degree recipients were women.

You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at UW - Madison. During the 2019-2020 year, about 75% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.

Read More…

#19

University of Dayton

Dayton, Ohio
58 Total Awards
$18,140 Average Tuition & Fees

University of Dayton came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Computer Science Graduate Certificate Schools ranking. Located in Dayton, Ohio, the fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 58 graduate certificate awards in 2020-2021.

Of those students who received their degree, 29% were women.

Online graduate courses are available at UDayton, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. During the 2019-2020 year, about 45% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.

Read More…

#19

Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, Virginia
58 Total Awards
$16,522 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #19, Virginia Tech did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for computer science students working on their graduate certificate. Located in Blacksburg, Virginia, the large public school awarded 58 diplomas to qualifed graduate certificate students in 2020-2021.

Around 22% of those degree recipients were women.

You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at Virginia Tech. In fact, around 63% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.

Read full report on Virginia Tech

#19

University of Denver

Denver, Colorado
58 Total Awards
$53,943 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #19, University of Denver did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for computer science students working on their graduate certificate. Located in Denver, Colorado, the fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 58 graduate certificate awards in 2020-2021.

Of those students who received their degree, 45% were women.

Depending on your major, you may be able to take online graduate classes at DU. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 84% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.

Read More…

#22

West Chester University of Pennsylvania

West Chester, Pennsylvania
57 Total Awards
$11,898 Average Tuition & Fees

West Chester University of Pennsylvania ranked #22 on this year’s Most Popular Computer Science Graduate Certificate Schools list. This fairly large public school is located in West Chester, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 57 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.

Of those students who received their degree, 14% were women.

Depending on your major, you may be able to take online graduate classes at WCUPA. In fact, around 98% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.

Full West Chester University of Pennsylvania Report

#23

Colorado State University - Fort Collins

Fort Collins, Colorado
55 Total Awards
$13,313 Average Tuition & Fees

Colorado State University - Fort Collins did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for computer science students to get a graduate certificate. It came in at #23 on the list. Colorado State is a large public school situated in Fort Collins, Colorado. It awarded 55 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.

Around 35% of those degree recipients were women.

Colorado State does have options available for those who want to take online graduate classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 67% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.

Full Colorado State University - Fort Collins Report

#24

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, Michigan
53 Total Awards
$25,230 Average Tuition & Fees
$20,014 Avg Student Debt

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Computer Science Graduate Certificate Schools ranking. U-M is a large public school situated in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It awarded 53 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.

On average, graduate certificate students take out $20,014 in loans while pursuing their degree. Of those students who received their degree, 45% were women.

U-M does have options available for those who want to take online graduate classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. In fact, around 74% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.

Read More…

#25

University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Greensboro, North Carolina
47 Total Awards
$8,265 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #25, University of North Carolina at Greensboro did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for computer science students working on their graduate certificate. UNC Greensboro is a fairly large public school situated in Greensboro, North Carolina. It awarded 47 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.

Around 34% of those degree recipients were women.

Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at UNC Greensboro. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 80% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.

Full University of North Carolina at Greensboro Report

Not only did these schools make the top 49 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

#26

Colorado State University - Global Campus

Greenwood Village, Colorado
#27

American Public University System

Charles Town, West Virginia
#29

Hood College

Frederick, Maryland
#30

New Jersey Institute of Technology

Newark, New Jersey
#31

Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri
#32

Purdue University Global

Indianapolis, Indiana
#33

Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, Florida
#34

University of Missouri - St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri
#35

Drexel University

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
#38

Auburn University

Auburn, Alabama
#38

University of Memphis

Memphis, Tennessee
#40

Stevens Institute of Technology

Hoboken, New Jersey
#41

Capella University

Minneapolis, Minnesota
#41

Portland State University

Portland, Oregon
#44

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois
#44

University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
#46

University at Buffalo

Buffalo, New York
#46

Ferris State University

Big Rapids, Michigan
#46

Appalachian State University

Boone, North Carolina
#46

University of Baltimore

Baltimore, Maryland

Honorable Mentions

These schools also performed well in our most popular computer science schools ranking:

Rank School Location
50 University of Louisville Louisville, KY
51 Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, VA
51 University of Arkansas at Little Rock Little Rock, AR
51 Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD
51 The University of Texas at San Antonio San Antonio, TX
55 Norwich University Northfield, VT
55 George Mason University Fairfax, VA
55 Texas A&M University - Kingsville Kingsville, TX
55 The Graduate Center, CUNY New York, NY
55 Regis University Denver, CO
60 Belhaven University Jackson, MS
61 Utah Valley University Orem, UT
61 Park University Parkville, MO
61 University of Virginia - Main Campus Charlottesville, VA
61 University of Cincinnati - Main Campus Cincinnati, OH
61 Grand Valley State University Allendale, MI
61 Fairleigh Dickinson University - Metropolitan Campus Teaneck, NJ
61 Lewis University Romeoville, IL

Notes and References

Footnotes

*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.

References

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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